Look out for two slots now in the works: one by Microgaming, Karate Pig, and another by Playtech, Goddess of Life.

Karate Pig Slot: About

To start, Karate Pig will be karate chopping its way into Microgaming’s slots collection in April as one of a 5 reel, 40 payline varieties. The theme is a comic animal, martial arts game with culinary multilevel bonus rounds. The maximum jackpot win is 80,000 coins while other Japanese symbols offer payouts as well. The paytable as always will list each symbols value. 

Slot symbols and features of Karate Pig 

Other symbols included are a laughing Buddha and the popular Maneki Neko Japanese sculpture, the ‘beckoning cat’ a symbol of money, luck and fortune.  The Karate Pig is a sushi chef and triggers the Pork Chop and Hammer Bonus rounds. For progression in each level of the bonus round receive a higher ranking karate belt. Reach the seventh-level belt (black of course) and enter the final bonus round. In the final round the Karate Pig confronts an opponent to gain casino rewards for every player. The graphics are said to be delightful and the machine also includes a free spins bonus as well. Get rewarded up to 15 free spins with all wins being doubled in value and with the possibility of triggering more free spins within that feature. Win up to 800,000 coins in this feature.

Goddess of Life by Playtech: About

The four powerful elements of earth, air, fire and water are captured in the soon-to-be-releases slot game by Playtech; Goddess of Life is released in April. It is a 5 reel 20 payline game with slot symbols that includes new moons, dolphins, eagles, horses and jaguars that meld together and disappear into a precious gem. Poker run card symbols are also included. The Goddess is the wild symbol and offers the top jackpot win of 10,000 coins. The Goddess of Life logo is the scatter symbol and awards a top payout of 500 coins.

Slot symbols and feature in Goddess of Life game

There are three special symbols in this new Playtech slot machine that includes wilds, scatters, free spins and a bonus game. The Goddess of Life is the wild symbol. It is also the jackpot symbol and offers the highest fixed jackpot of 10,000 coins. The Goddess of Life logo is the scatter symbol. It awards scatter payouts with the top payout being 500 coins. Three or more scatter symbols anywhere on the reels trigger the Temple of Life free spins feature. The player has to select one of the life elements to know how many free spins he has won. This is determined randomly. During the free spins the wild symbol triples the payouts. The free spins can be retriggered infinitely. The Stonehenge is the bonus symbol and triggers the round when appearing anywhere on reels 2, 3 and 4 simultaneously. In the bonus pick crystals until the clicking on the crystal with the word ‘collect’.

There’s big business in franchise-based online slots these days; three new deals perpetuate the trend with new games based on Hulk Hogan (!), David Hasselhoff (!!!) and the latest Batman movie trilogy announced for 2012 release.

The “Hulkamania” and “The Hoff” online slots games will be released on the OpenBet platform; as subcontractor MX Gaming has already released a real-life online casinos version of Hulkamania, we can assume this will be the first of the titles to see the light of day.

Currently debuting at the 2012 ICE Totally Gaming Show in England, the Hulkamania online slot is being touted by MX Gaming and OpenBet for its use of original and exclusive video material to be incorporated into gameplay. While Ike McFadden stated that “My personal feeling is that the special appeal of the game has nothing in particular to do with symbols or multipliers,” the video bonus rounds may be of note. The second of two such rounds has Hogan fighting an opponent in fashion similar to Mortal Kombat, via the new footage and subsequent digitization.

Similarly to the Dennis Rodman online slot released by Vegas Technology a few years back, the Hulkamania casino game would appear to be a case of “How the mighty have fallen” after an expensive divorce settlement, countersuits involving allegations of homosexual philandery and a couple of failed TV shows, Hogan clearly needs a few bucks to pump the bank account a bit. (Guess he’s not making as much scratch in his “sport” as he once did…)  

Meanwhile, OpenBet apparently believes it can further cash in on the success of its “Baywatch” slot game with “The Hoff,” which will also get a scratch card version. According to PR, “the main concept of the games will be to help David Hasselhoff’s character along his eternal quest of becoming a millionaire celebrity and will include humorous twists along the way.”

Several different skins and bonus rounds are promised with “The Hoff,” presumably matching Hasselhoff’s character arc from “Knight Rider” to “Baywatch” to “America’s Got Talent.” LiveCasinoDirect, for one, can’t wait to see how the software producer will incorporate this particular star turn. 

Finally, industry leaders Microgaming aren’t messing around with B-listers and those past their primes. The internet casino software giant recently announced its signing of a licensing agreement with the even bigger Warner group to create a series of online slots based on “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises.” First of the games is due out this summer, while the “Dark Knight Rises” online slot will be available for play in early 2013.

Players in two of the world’s biggest gambling cultures – the U.S. and Australia – got some news regarding possible decriminalization of online gaming, with legislation in the former softening to the reality of the average person’s devotion to personal freedom in computer use.

In the U.S., the Department of Justice tweaked the Wire Act of 1961 just before the year turned. In its decision, DoJ officials stated that the Wire Act, often used legally in cases against legal online gambling, actually contains “prohibitions [that] relate solely to sport-related gambling activities in interstate and foreign commerce.”

Most in the industry believe that this reversal will open the floodgates: “Internet gambling is about to explode across the nation, made legal under state law,” said Whittier Law School professor/gambling law expert I. Nelson Rose.

Meanwhile, an Southern Cross University study of over 6,500 people finding that “50% of participants had taken up [online] gambling in the past six years, making it the fastest-growing form of gambling in the country” is making waves in Australian media.

SCU professor Dr. Sally Gainsbury said that Australia’s “existing legislation [does] not discourage people from using overseas gambling sites.” Senator Nick Xenophon, long against legalized gambling, warned that “The next tidal wave of problem gamblers will come from online gambling unless we take urgent action now.”